


Rulers

by nellasera



Series: HP Mixed Pairing One Shots [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Alternate Events, Character Death, Darkish Grindeldore, M/M, Slight Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:46:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23391958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nellasera/pseuds/nellasera
Summary: Ariana Dumbledore dies differently. This will change everything for the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald as well as the entire Wizarding World.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald
Series: HP Mixed Pairing One Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1993330
Comments: 6
Kudos: 59





	Rulers

**Author's Note:**

> This is not a pairing I normally read, much less write. But their dynamic and this "what if" scenario is intriguing to me and this actually may serve as a prologue to a Dramione series with an ensemble cast some day. Thanks for reading!

When Ariana began losing control, Albus was in the back garden.

He had been thinking about Gellert’s eyes. One brown. One blue. More specifically, he had been thinking about the intent light that would enter them on certain occasions. When the pair of them were discussing their plans for the Wizarding World. When Gellert found something particularly interesting or useful for their cause in a book, or when Albus had a particularly brilliant thought.

Albus loved that light.

He would do anything to make it appear.

He and Gellert. Masters of Death. Rulers of the Wizarding World.

Thinking of watching Gellert’s eyes every day while being at his side made Albus shiver with delight and want.

He and Gellert. Brilliant equals.

“ _AL!_ ”

The voice came roaring unexpectedly from the back door of the little house. It undoubtedly belonged to his brother. Aberforth had a very distinct voice, and it wasn't as if anyone else came calling. Albus turned sharply, and indeed, Aberforth was framed in the door, gazing at his brother with horror and desperation. “Come quick! It’s Ariana!”

Albus had already guessed as much as soon as he had heard Aberforth’s voice. The little house was beginning to tremble, and that sometimes happened when Ariana was having one of her particularly bad outbursts.

He must not allow himself to feel panic or fear. He would remain calm and logical.

With quick, purposeful steps, he followed Aberforth back inside, up the stairs, and to the room where they kept their unstable little sister.

* * *

He had not saved her.

He had not been able to save her.

Albus was the most skillful wizard in Britain, and yet he could not save Ariana. This time her magical outburst had simply been too much. She had exploded from the inside out, and there was no piece of her left to bury.

Aberforth had screamed and raged and, in his grief, had accused Albus of letting it happen on purpose. He had accused Albus of not doing enough so that he no longer had to care for Ariana, because Aberforth knew that his brother had always resented having to stay in Godric’s Hollow and care for her rather than being able to go off traveling with Gellert.

Albus hated the smallest relief in the darkest part of him.

He hated that he _did_ feel much more free, even if it hadn’t been on purpose.

Albus slipped up to his room and for a couple of hours tears slipped down his nose and he tried very hard to turn off his powerful brain.

* * *

One week later, Gellert came.

Albus knew this because from downstairs he heard the chime of the doorbell and then Aberforth’s voice shouting at him to leave.

Numbly, Albus stood and picked his way through the stacks of books around his room and then proceeded down the stairs.

“Aberforth,” he said calmly, though he felt anything but calm. Just now he felt only resentment and irritation for his strange, illiterate little brother.

“He ain’t welcome here!” snarled Aberforth, whipping to face Albus.

From over his shoulder, Gellert’s eyes glinted. He did not like to be told he could not be with Albus. Albus’ heart squeezed in his chest at the sight of him, at the cold fury on Gellert’s face as he observed Aberforth.

“I am the head of this household,” said Albus. “And I welcome him, Aberforth.”

Aberforth sneered and threw his older brother a look of deepest loathing before stalking away. He was clearly not interested in grieving with his brother. He had made that clear long before Gellert had showed. After he had finished screaming at Albus on the day Ariana died, he had gone up to his room and slammed the door. He had rarely seen Aberforth again.

Gellert stepped over the threshold and into the home, his eyes carefully sweeping over Albus. “Your sister,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” mumbled Albus, looking down at the floor and trying to control the stinging that had appeared in his eyes again. _Logical. Calm. Cold. Brilliant. That’s what you are. That’s what Gellert admires. That’s what you both are together._

He was surprised when Gellert stepped closer than usual; all the longing that Albus had been trying to keep at bay welled up and threatened to overpower him when Gellert’s hand came to his chin, tilting Albus’ head to lock his multicolored gaze with Albus’s blue one. He looked incredibly fierce and yet somehow also gentler than Albus had ever seen him.

“You did what you could,” he said quietly.

“I could not save her.” Albus sounded hollow even to himself.

“But you can avenge her. We can make a world where what happened to your sister would never happen to another witch or wizard again.” His cool fingers had yet to leave Albus’ chin, and then he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. It was the briefest hint of a kiss. A whisper. But Gellert had never done it before, and it made Albus’ knees weak and a blazing hope enter his chest.

“Do you still want this, Albus?” murmured Gellert against his mouth.

_This. You. Always you._

“Yes,” said Albus hoarsely, closing his eyes. “Of course.”

“Let us pack your things,” Gellert said. “You do not have to stay longer, Albus. Your brother does not need or understand you like I do. I want us to do what we have always planned. Let us travel and research together. I have missed you dearly.”

He kissed Albus again, deeper this time, more desperately, his tongue sweeping gently across Albus’ bottom lip, causing Albus to let out a little gasp against his mouth. “Let us be together,” whispered Gellert, fingers stroking Albus' cheekbones. “Let us never part. Let us rule.”

Albus’ eyes opened and he stared into Gellert’s intense gaze.

That light was in his eyes again.

_Together, me and you, brilliant rulers, avenging, revolutionizing..._

“Forever,” agreed Albus quietly, and Gellert bowed his lips to Albus’ once more, sealing their fate and their promise.


End file.
